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Top 10 Myths About The Chevrolet Volt – Debunked!

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It’s been called the vehicle that will “save” General Motors, the car of the future, and the electric car that will bring GM into the 21st century…

But contrary to what others may opine, the Chevy Volt is not a product that will make or break The General. The Volt does, however, carry enough non-financial cachet that is sure to have a lasting effect on GM. More than anything, the Volt holds the promise of transforming GM’s image of a staid, old-school automaker with little imagination into one of an iconic and forward-thinking company — akin to what the Prius has done to give Toyota an eco-friendly perception in the minds of consumers (as contradictory to reality as that may be — Tundra V8, Lexus LF-A and IS-F, I’m looking at you).

Since the Volt’s launch at the end of 2010, many consumers continue to be misinformed and blatantly misunderstand what the Volt is, what it does, and why it may be of value to them. If you don’t believe me, attend the public days of an auto show, and listen to how many people worry about the Volt running out of its electric charge in the middle of traffic. This lack of understanding equips the Volt skeptics with a stronger (if not louder) voice that will undoubtedly bestow false information upon the mis-informed public.

If this continues, the end result could be disastrous, as GM could remain — in the eyes of the average consumer — an unenterprising, lazy, and non-innovative car maker that simply doesn’t get it. Add to that the political mess that came in the form of the government bailout in 2009, and the picture can instantly procure very dusky undertones… at least for General Motors.

Insofar as to convey the truth about the Volt to the public at large, we’ve compiled the ten most popular myths — and their corresponding facts — about this vehicle. Here they are:

Myth: it can only drive for a total of 40 miles

Fact: the Volt can travel between 25 and 50 miles on pure electric charge, but that’s not as far as it can go. After the battery’s charge has been depleted for driving purposes, the Volt seamlessly switches to an on-board gasoline engine-generator, which is capable of powering the car for a range of approximately 300 miles with a full tank of (required) premium fuel. This means that the Volt is the only electric vehicle capable of traveling as far as a regular gasoline-powered car: about 340 miles in total, 40 miles on pure electricity and 300 on pure gasoline.

Myth: it won’t work in hot or cold weather

Fact: extreme temperatures will unquestionably affect overall battery performance. But when the battery is depleted and the Volt switches to the engine-generator for power, outdoor conditions cease to be a factor. As such, severe outside temperatures won’t stop the Volt dead in its tracks.

Myth: it’s just another hybrid… who cares?

Fact: most advanced hybrids can drive very short distances (usually less than a mile) at very low speeds (20-40 mph) on electric power alone. The Volt, however, can drive a total of 25-50 miles on electricity. This is the major difference between today’s advanced hybrid systems (found in such cars as the Toyota Prius) and the Volt. For those wanting to get more technical, the Volt actually has five distinct operating modes:

Battery discharging, acceleration or low-speed cruising

Battery discharging, high-speed cruising

Battery depleted, acceleration or low-speed cruising

Battery depleted, high-speed cruising

Braking

By comparison, the most popular hybrids only have two modes.

Myth: it must constantly be plugged in

Fact: the gasoline engine-generator powers the Volt after the first 25-50 miles of pure electric driving. When the battery runs out or charge for pure electric driving, the Volt will continue on its way by using the engine generator.

Myth: it’s too expensive

Fact: compared to what? Being in a segment all by itself, the Volt has no equal. It may have plenty of “comparable” vehicles, but no direct competitors. That said, the Volt’s $41,000 price tag is definitely not cheap; a federal tax credit cuts $7,500 off that 41k, while individual States may offer incentives of their own to lower the price even further. And when it comes to leases, the Volt’s set lease price of $350 a month is one dollar more than what Nissan is asking for the Leaf — an electric vehicle without an engine-generator. As such, the Leaf is dead when the batteries are empty (after about 100 miles), contributing to range anxiety and resulting in inferior levels of convenience.

Myth: the government forced GM to built it

Fact: this one can’t be further from reality. GM embarked on the Volt project in 2006 – long before its widespread financial problems and the 2010 government intervention. Ironically, the presidential automotive task force (that researched GM’s position during the now-infamous chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings) supported the move to scrap the Volt project due to the program’s inability to make money for at least the first few years. GM convinced the government that the technology was too important and that the Volt had to carry on. And it did.

Myth: it has a better bumper-to-bumper warranty than any other Chevy

Fact: the Volt carries the same three-year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty as any other Chevrolet. However, the important components (the ones that are most unfamiliar to consumers today) are covered for way longer…

In fact, the Volt’s warranty covers the battery and Voltec drive unit for eight years or 100,000 miles while the powertrain warranty covers the powertrain/drivetrain (read: engine) for five year or 100,000 miles. The batteries should, however, last much longer. Today’s competitive marketplace compels automakers to make sure parts — especially expensive ones such as the lithium-ion batteries in the Volt — last well beyond the warranty period simply because it’s prohibitively expensive to foot the bill for a repair or a replacement for the automaker itself.

For instance, many owners of the original Honda Insight Hybrid (which began production in 1999) report that the original batteries in their cars still work today — after more than 10 years of driving! Given the fact that the Volt has a more modern battery system, its batteries should still have plenty of power after the warranty expires. And the myth of intentional failure is just that — a myth: companies have much more important things to worry about (such as competitors and long-term vehicle testing) than to set their products to break after a calculated period of time.

That, however, is not to say that the Volt will last forever. But chances are, it won’t keel over and die when the powertrain warranty runs out.

Myth: the batteries are produced in Korea

Fact: they are assembled at GM’s Brownstown Township plant, between Telegraph Road and I-75 in suburban Detroit. However, the individual pieces of the batteries are currently manufactured in Korea. GM plans to move production to a new factory in western Michigan in 2013.

Myth: it’s not available in Europe

Fact: the Volt will be sold in Europe for €41,000. It will be sold alongside its brother — the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera.

Myth: the only innovation is in the powertrain

Fact: this is a matter of perspective, but we’d be more than happy to provide the facts.

GM applied for more than 200 patents during the Volt’s development. And the vehicle’s ability to serve as an everyday driver while providing the ownership experience that doesn’t carry the baggage that is range anxiety is innovation in and of itself. However, the integration of modern aerodynamics technologies, the world’s lightest and most low-rolling resistance tires in a mainstream vehicle, and an all-digital driver’s information console is more than impressive. Couple that with the Volt’s high-tech smartphone app that provides the ability to turn wall charging on and off, start the car, and even locate the Volt on a map — and it’s easy to see why the powertrain is not the only innovation in the Volt.

Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to take a trip outside and enjoy the Volt’s instant torque while making Prius owners jealous…

The problem of charging prices higher than MSRP for popular cars is not new.
Unfortunately, the state laws regarding franchising make it virtually impossible for the corporation or manufacturer to prevent it.
All the dealer has to do is to add a pinstripe at a price of, oh, $5-10k.
Franchising laws are written to protect local voters and campaign contributors (dealers) from the big, bad corporations.

I’m happy that the author is a blatant GM advocate — GM needs its fan boys. But masquerading the Volt as an EV is idiotic and ultimately self-defeating for everyone. The Volt in fact IS a hybrid with two distinct drivetrains — in other words, all the service and maintenance (oil changes, muffler system replacements) of a gasoline car, with the expense of a battery electric drivetrain. Given this reality, it’s vaguely insulting to readers to call the Volt an EV as in this sentence, “This means that the Volt is the only electric vehicle capable of traveling as far as a regular gasoline-powered car: about 340 miles in total, 40 miles on pure electricity and 300 on pure gasoline.” If it runs on gasoline, it’s NOT an EV!

Mary — having written the article in question, I’m the blatant GM advocate you’re referring to. That said, I think you’re splitting hairs here. But let’s not let the facts get in the way of reality:
1. The Volt has a PURE electric range of 25-50 miles. This makes it, first and foremost, an EV. No other hybrid has the ability to do this.
2. A hybrid, in true hybrid form, operates both the electric and ICE powertrains in a fashion where both assist each other in propelling the vehicle. This is not the case with the Volt, since the Voltec drivetrain and the engine-generator work independently from one another.
3. “If it runs on gasoline, it’s NOT an EV!” And how about when it runs on electricity? Two sides to the coin here. If you want to be totally accurate, the Volt is an EREV — extended range electric vehicle. But it IS an electric car… and it’s also a gas-powered vehicle. What you call it may depend more on your usage and driving abilities rather than its technical specifications and operation modes.

I find your comment that the volt is a hybrid totally laughable. Obviously you have no idea on how a hybrid works, and how the volt works.

I think I can answer your question, as I own both a Volt, and a Prius.

In both cars there is a planetary gear set, 2 electric motors and a gasoline engine.
How they are put together is what makes them totally different.

In the prius the gas engine is connected to the planet gear carrier, the ring gear drives the wheels, and is connected to the main traction motor. The generator/starter motor is connected to the sun gear.
On electric mode, which is good for perhaps 1 mile on flat ground at low speeds, under 25MPH, the main electric motor can drive the car, and the gas engine is off. The generator on the sun gear is freewheeling. Go faster, and the generator is electronically braked, which forces the planet carrier to spin, and this start the gas motor. By varying the load on the generator, connected to the sun gear, will vary the ratio of the planetary gear set. That is your e-cvt transmission.

On the volt, the main traction motor is connected to the sun gear, the planet carrier is connected directly to the wheels, and the ring gear is connected to a series of clutches. 1 clutch allows the ring gear to be locked to the case, so all the power from the electric motor spinning the sun gear goes to the wheels. A second clutch can connect the second electric motor to the ring gear, which is now unlocked from the case. This allows 2 electric motors to spin, and allows for a variable ratio on the planetary gear set all the way down to 1:1 for sustained freeway cruising. The reason is 2 motors running at low speed consume less electrical power than 1 spinning at high speed. This operation continues for the first 40+ miles until the battery is empty. At this point, clutch 1 locks the rung gear, clutch 2 releases motor #2 from the ring gear, and clutch #3 locks motor #2 to the gasoline engine, which starts, and now produces electricity to operate motor#1 that continues to drive the car. In this mode the volt is operating as a series hybrid. There is a 4th mode, that can be engaged when cruising at high speed in gas mode. Clutch 1 can unlock the ring gear, and clutch 2 locks it to electric motor 2, which is locked to the gas engine by clutch 3. This way 50% of the power produced by the gas engine can be sent directly to the wheels. The other 50% is used by the generator, which in turn is used by electric motor 1, the main motor. There is no way to physically remove motor 1, so the car is always running in electric mode, but when not a lot of power is required the small gas engine can help out, as engineers found that this can result in a 15% fuel economy increase. I have owned my volt for 3 years. The maintenance is minimal. After 2 years it went in for it’s first and only oil change. Up until today I have had zero issues. Today I experienced something that has never happened to me in 35 years of driving. I had a tire fail while on the freeway at high speeds. The tire pressure monitoring system alerted me of a rapid loss of pressure, and I was able to safely pull off the road. It was today that I wish my volt had the one thing it doesn’t come with… A spare tire! I used the tire inflator that comes with the car, but I had a 1/2″ split inj the side wall right at the bead, so I had to stop about every 2 miles and pump the tire up again. Tomorrow I will take the tire in, and hopefully that is covered by the tire warranty. But other than that, it is the best car I have ever owned, and I have owned Mercedes, BMW, Ford, Toyota, Buick, and even an old Plymouth.

Bzzt WRONG. The volt is an EV, and can be driven as a pure EV. Calling it a hybrid is very misleading. A prius is a hybrid. My wife drives a hybrid, and she has to put gas in it every week. I on the other hand go through a tank of gas in my volt about every 8 months unless I am traveling. That was the reason I bought it. I can commute to and from work every day and not use a single drop of gas. Every 6 weeks the engine starts and runs for less than 5 minutes to lubricate the engine. About the only time I burn any gas at all is over the winter months when the temperature drops, because the volt will revert to starting the engine in order to warm the battery (and cabin) for a few minutes and then revert back to electric mode until the battery is depleted.
In 6 years of ownership my oil has been changed only twice. It is due for it’s 3rd change this summer. When the brakes were checked last year, I still had 95% of the brake life left in the brake pads. Not bad for a car with 100,000 miles on it.

So you have to plug in the car, pay more each day on your electric bill and get a whopping 40 miles or so? You still have to fill up your gas tank too. If I’m going to pay that much money for a car, I want a car that has some heft with some power…..not a go-cart.

Sharon, you really need to drive a Volt before you call it a go-cart. It’s roomy and has a lot of pep. Like all electric motors, the Volt’s traction motors have a lot of torque a low speeds so it really accelerates quickly from a stop.

Ouch. There definitely is a very compelling use case of the Volt — and having spent a good few days behind the wheel of a Volt, it’s definitely no go-cart. In fact, it drives like a more refined and planted version of my Cruze, with which the Volt shares its platform.

Please do yourself a huge favor and go test drive a Volt when you get a chance. You’ll quickly understand how far away from a go-cart the Volt is. Put it in “Sport” mode and floor it. It will open your eyes, I guarantee it.

As far as the cost of ownership goes…in my previous car I would pay about $40 a week for gas (the car got about 30 MPG). I’m about a week short of 4 months of ownership and have been to the gas station twice for about a total of $64 in gas. My electric bill has increased by about $25 a month (on the high side). Let’s call it $164 for those four months for the Volt vs about $680 for my previous car. Plus I won’t have to get an oil change for about two years since I don’t use the gas engine that much. That’s pretty good in my book. Be well.

Sharon, I was with you before my dealership recieved a Volt and I became educated on it. Let me put it to you this way. I drive 20 miles round trip to work and back. I know I can get atleast 30 miles on a full charge. Even if I take it to lunch I will still be on electric only when I go home. That means I will use ZERO gallons of gas a year to and rom work as long as I charge it nightly. By the way a nightly charge costs about $1.50. Now if I take it on a trip the nice thing is I actually have the option since it has a engine generator that kicks in and supplies electricity to the electric motor. Also the Volt gets up and moves, it goes 0-60 in less than 8 seconds and has 272 pounds of torque to go with the 148 HP. All I suggest is you drive one and learn more about the Volt. You will be impressed.

Another unformed fool.
The volt has plenty of power. It will do over 100MPH and get there pretty quick. 0-60MPH is just over 8 seconds.
Yes I plug it in. It cost me 1.20 to drive 40 miles on electricity.
How much does it cost you to drive your gas guzzler 40 miles? Guaranteed it is much higher than 1.20. A gallon of fuel is what 4.00 a gallon these days?
Even if your car got 40MPG, which is what the volt gets when in gas mode, it would cost 4.00 to drive 40 miles on gas. My prius is rated at 50MPG. Good luck with that, I rarely get anything close to that. It manages low 40’s at best A gallon of gas will go about 45 miles on my Prius. So about 4.00 for 45 miles. On my volt I generally get between 40 and 42 miles on a charge, so lets say 1.25 to go the same distance on my volt.
Say I need to drive 80 miles. In my prius that would be about 2 gallons of fuel, or 8.00 roughly in fuel. In my volt, I use a full charge, and about 1 gallon of fuel. So 4.00 for the gas, and 1.25 for electricity. 5.25 for the same trip, but since there are so many charging stations around where I live, I can probably pick up a free charge (yes where I live they are free to use) while out on my errand, so my return trip is totally free.
Sorry to make a few of you jealous, but in the 3 years I have owned my volt I have saved over 12,000.00 in fuel, and even more when I factored in maintenance of my old car. My volt, which cost me 42,000 will be totally paid for in fuel savings in 8 years.
Remember, for those skeptics out there, if you buy a 20,000 car, you still have to put expensive fuel into it, so after 10 years if you use 1,200 of fuel a year, that 20,000 car cost you 32,000. My volt cost me 40 grand, and uses only about 300.00 a year in electricity. No, I don’t fully drain the battery every day. Now your mileage may very well vary. My old car got at best 10MPG, and I was going through 80-90 a week, about 4 grand a year.

Hmmm lets see.
It costs me about 1.20 to fully charge the car at the highest rate my electric company charges.
This gives me 40 miles of range.
The volt gets 40 MPG when burning gas, which makes it one of the most fuel efficient cars on the road when the generator is running. This is diesel territory.
Right now, in Canada the price of premium gas today is 1.56 per litre. That is 5.90 per US gallon.
So to drive 40 miles, it would cost 5.90 for gasoline, and 1.20 on electricity. A savings of 4.70.
As to power, you obviously have never driven one, because it definitely is NOT a go-cart. It moves pretty good, and keeps on pulling to the limit 100 MPH

The biggest problem of all is the life time of the batteries and if You gone chance them it gone cost You allot , I have read somewhere that average life of the batteries is about 5 Years depending on how much You drive and if You live in a hot or cold country.

From the article above:
“In fact, the Volt’s warranty covers the battery and Voltec drive unit for eight years or 100,000 miles while the powertrain warranty covers the powertrain/drivetrain (read: engine) for five year or 100,000 miles.”

CruzeBe, The battery, Voltec Electric Motor and some other components have a 8 year/100,000 mile warranty. In 8 years I suspect there will be reman options for batteries at much lower costs. Also we dont know how long the battery will last. I believe the Volt goes the extra mile to ensure longevity. It has a liquid cooled and liquid heated pack around the battery to help it maintain the right temp. Being ION it does not fully deplete or fully charge to extend its life span.

BS, my Prius is over 10 years old. Batteries are not an issue. They are warrantied for 8 years 100,000 miles.
Even when the battery capacity does eventually drop, and GM says that is 13 years, all that will happen on the volt is it will have a shorted all electric range, and then the gas engine will kick in. By that time there will be rebuilt battery packs available, and they won’t cost no arm and leg.

The rated life of the batteries according to GM is 13 years, and even after the batteries reach 75% of their capacity, a point where they are considered worn out, the car still has the engine. My other vehicle is also a hybrid, it is 12 years old the batteries are fine, and I heard that rumour 12 years ago that the batteries were only good for 5 years.

My Volt, #1496, is 19 weeks and 4,500 miles old. My lifetime average is 129 MPG. My electric bill is about $45 a month more than in the past.

The car is comfortable, fun to drive, looks great, and in the six years I plan to drive it (before trading for another Volt), it will save me about $15,000 t $18,000 in fuel/energy costs depending on how far I drive and the price of gas.

As GM ramps up production and prices come down (already in the works for 2012) this car will be on everybody’s wish list.

I’ve had my volt for a almost 3 years now, and would buy another in a heart beat.
If I had 75 grand burning a hole in my pocket a Cadillac ELR would be sitting in my drive way, but another volt is in my future. As soon as my wife’s prius dies, she too will be driving a volt, and they we can both give the oil companies the middle finger.

Nice article as there are plenty of myths. I’ve driven my last ~4000 miles on ~10 gallons of gas. So mainly electric driving. My normal work week is all electric.

I switched to an hourly rate plan in IL right before I got the Volt and added some CFLs in commonly areas of lighting in my hours. I use the built-in scheduler in the Volt to tell the car to start charging at OFF PEAK (midnight) so I have zero impact on the grid and get very cheap rates.

My electric bill is CHEAPER now that before I owned the Volt because of the hourly rate plan and scheduling it off peak.

Nice article, Alex. Another myth you could have put in there is that the Volt pollutes more because electrictiy is primarily generated by coal in the US. All the studies say that burning the gas to propel you, say 10 miles, will cause more pollution than if you burned coal to generate the electricity to propel you those same 10 miles. Doesn’t mean that electricity is green but it is definitely already greener than gas and will be getting cleaner as we move forward.

To say the volt pollutes more because electricity generation from coal burning plants pollutes, this is correct, but the pollution from electricity generation to charge your car is less than it takes to generate the same electricity to heat, and pump that thick crappy heavy crude oil, and bitumine from the oil sands to the refinery, and then to transport it to your local gas station. People forget about this fact.
Just getting the oil refined and to your local pump produces much more greenhouse gas than generating electricity with coal, never mind the greenhouse gas produced when you burn it.
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

Sharon, you should definitely drive a car before passing judgement on it. There is a really good chance that the Volt is quieter, nicer, and peppier than your car. It is definitely not a go-kart. I have driven a lot of luxury cars, and the Volt is as good as any mid-range Lexus or Acura. And yes, you have to pay for the electricity, but the electricity to go 40 miles costs 1/3 of what the gas would cost. So you get the equivalent of about 120 MPG from a cost perspective. I have driven my Volt 2100 miles and used $48 in electricity and $12 in gas. How much would it cost you to drive your car 2100 miles?

I spent a weekend with a VOLT recently and was quite impressed with it. Did a Cars and Coffee event on Saturday Morning, where the haters were out in droves, and fueled with the very comments that this writer talks about, misinformation! Drove it from DC to Philly and back and was most impressed with its handling on a busy summer interstate as well as in town. Handled well, braked well, and was excellent in some emergency situations that came up on a crowded I95. Sunday took it off to my car clubs autocross, where it was amazing. The only comments there was, Too bad it does not make any noise! Fast and responsive with excellent handling.
The best comments from everyone was pretty much the same. The fit and finish was not what they expected from GM, and if this is the new GM, this is great. And that it felt like a $41K sports sedan, not an American econobox on wheels. Great Car, keep up the good work. It will be great to see the voltec powertrain starting to show up in other models.

in response to the question about real world dealer experience – I don’t really like dealing with car dealers in general, I find them pushy. I’d prefer to buy a car on eBay. But, my Volt purchase wasn’t any worse than most. Not quite as good as a VW dealer. I paid MSRP, no more. I did shun one dealer in Moorsville that was asking over MSRP – maybe that’s ok for a hot new sports car – but don’t try to screw the few people who are willing to shell out big bucks to try to help the environment and reduce dependency on oil (since there are so few of us to begin with).

“Couple that with the Volt’s high-tech smartphone app that [can] locate the Volt on a map …”

Really? I have Volt #284 and the latest OnStar MyLink app on my Android phone and it doesn’t have this capability. I believe you can CALL OnStar and they can locate the car, but it’s not a feature offered in the phone app. Did you perhaps have a preview of the next version?

Actually, the “myth”: Myth: the government forced GM to built it… well, that’s TRUE. The Obama administration made it a requirement. GM, and the rest of the American auto industry have NEVER been serious about electric cars. The documentary, “The death of the Electric car” shows very well the history. GM never would have moved the Volt beyond the “concept car” phase and everyone knows that.

Tom, are you seriously suggesting that the U.S. government forced GM — an unprofitable company in 2009 — to continue a program that will continue to make it even more unprofitable? That’s just as ridiculous as saying that the Volt’s wheels are square rather than round.

Have you ever heard of Bob Lutz and his efforts in pioneering the Volt? This is not the EV1 we’re talking about. Facts are facts, mate.

And, Alex, are you seriously suggesting that GM with a history of not being serious about electric cars and being in collusion with the oil companies all of a sudden decided that they would make a 180 and invest in a new strategy? come on Alex, I’m not buying it and I’m not buying your “independent” label. Anyone can slap that on to their website. Please, give all of us the benefit of the doubt and assume we can think critically and ask tough questions. And don’t be so offended if people don’t take your word for it. And, your comment is implying that somehow my logic is faulty because I don’t agree with you. its insulting; that is why I gave you a little dose of your own medicine at the beginning of this comment. By the way, here is a great web page. It is an online calculator to compare the cost of ownership between the Volt and your current vehicle: http://www.befrugal.com/tools/electric-car-calculator/

and by the way, the Volt isn’t the car that WILL save GM, its the car that DID save GM. Without GM committing to actually move this concept car to a production car, the Obama administration would never had agreed to the bailout. Among other things like restructuring and management changes. The author is pumping propaganda and a sales pitch on a couple of these “myths”. However, I must state how extremely excited I am about this car!!

Tom — I’m the author whom you so eloquently accuse of “pumping propaganda anda sales pitch on a couple of these myths.”

Don’t worry — I have no personal interest in whether GM sells another Volt (or any Volts, for that matter). I don’t work with or for GM — and neither does anyone employed by GM Authority. Perhaps a brief glance at our logo would set it straight for you. Hint: it reads “The Ultimate Independent Destination For Everything General Motors.”

Alex, you are waaay to sensitive. I have no way of knowing that you don’t have an investment in providing “sales pitches”. I have no way of knowing what your relationship (if any) is with GM or with the Volt. And, just because you stand on a mountain and proclaim to the world that you are independent and objective does not make this so. And, for you to get angry at someone for having reservations is incredibly illogical. You are expecting way to much. I appreciate your blog very much and we are both Volt fans, but, don’t ask me to leave my critical thinking at the door. Its my critical thinking that sold me on the Volt.

The general public has been slow to accept the Volt because of its high initial price. If it had come out as a $41K Cadillac, that would have been a perfect lead in to then slide that drive train into a Cruze body and sell it for$26K. It would sell like hotcakes.